Criticism over the recent White Sox manager hiring continued to pour in after Tony La Russa was officially charged with his second DUI earlier this week. In February 2020, La Russa allegedly ran his car into a curb and left the smoking car. Arizona officers responded and found La Russa standing next to his SUV. A field sobriety test was conducted until it was eventually decided that the 76-year-old Hall of Famer should be taken into custody.
The White Sox hiring of Tony La Russa came out of left field on Oct. 30th due to the fact that he has not managed in over nine years. La Russa last managed the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals, who eventually came back from being down 3-2 to beat the Texas Rangers in the World Series.
Now, many are baffled to find out that the White Sox organization knew about the possible charge of a DUI before his hiring. Chicago’s front office has even reported that there are no plans to punish their new manager despite this revelation.
Free agent SP Marcus Stroman expressed his thoughts on Twitter Tuesday morning when someone asked if he would ever play for the White Sox with the knowledge of La Russa’s DUI and other speculations of a checkered past. Stroman responded by tweeting, “No amount of money honestly. Peace of Mind is always priority.”
With Stroman excluding the White Sox as a potential landing for his free agency spot this offseason, the question now arises; will other free agents follow his lead and not sign with Chicago because of this situation? The White Sox landed in the postseason for the first time since 2008 during the shortened 2020 season, and their young talent and power at the plate proved that they are to be taken seriously. Free agency this offseason is crucial as the White Sox could use a veteran pitcher to guide young star pitchers like Lucas Giolito, who hurled one of two no-hitters in the 2020 season. They can, unfortunately, cross Stroman off their list, and more could follow.
Many fans are afraid that the young star players will clash with La Russa when trying to embrace his culture. Other clubs have embraced younger managers to relate to the clubhouse more, and the White Sox obviously went a different direction. Now, with Tony’s second DUI, this could impact trust and whether players are willing to buy into the ‘old school’ style.
The White Sox may continue to ignore the red flags, and this could be a recipe for a disastrous season. There is no doubt that La Russa has been successful throughout his career, and he could prove many wrong. But, time will soon tell if the White Sox should have listened to the criticism and hired someone else.
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